A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place last week at Joseph C. McIlvain Playground, 5200 Penn St.
Among those on hand at the July 11 event were City Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, state Rep. Jason Dawkins and Orlando Rendon, acting commissioner of the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
Rendon thanked former Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez, who secured almost $500,000 for the playground renovations, and site supervisor Fran Walker, who began working at McIlvain a day earlier.
The renovations were to the two full courts of basketball, swings, playground equipment, safety surfacing, a sprayground and lighting.
The playground is blue and gold, the colors of Frankford High School.
Lozada and Dawkins are former Sanchez staffers, with Dawkins serving as her recreation liaison.
Lozada said the next step in improving McIlvain could be installation of security cameras. Dawkins said the new playground will be complemented well by the nearby project that will bring a supermarket, 134 housing units and a city District Health Center 11 across the street from the Frankford Transportation Center. Another district health center is planned for the Friends Hospital grounds. ••
